Sea of Faith Network

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Study on Doctrinal Diversity - Background

The state of doctrinal belief among practicing clergy

What sometimes passes as ministerial concern to protect our lay folk from exposure to dangerous ideas is, in reality, unconscious contempt for their intelligence. It implies that they have neither the wit nor maturity to distinguish between truth and error, sense and nonsense  Colin Morris, The Methodist Recorder, 11 November 1971

Several surveys have been carried on whether clergy actually do believe the traditional miracle stories in the New Testament.

In 2002, Cost of Conscience and Christian Research conducted a wide-ranging survey, The Mind of Anglicans, amongst Church of England clergy, inviting them to state their beliefs: moral and theological. A 16-page booklet entitled Believe it or Not! was produced summarizing some of the survey’s findingsincluding an analysis of who doubted what. Over 1,700 clergy (46% of those approached) responded.